HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - One of downtown Huntsville's busiest streets will be under the knife for much of 2013.

Construction crews began ripping up parts of Washington Street last fall, but the $2.26 million beautification project only recently hit full stride. On Tuesday, workers from Miller & Miller were busy pouring a new sidewalk across from Humphrey's Bar & Grill and excavating around buried utility lines at the Clinton Avenue intersection.

Robbie Stewart, the civil engineer overseeing the project for the city, said traffic through that area will be narrowed to one lane until the work is finished around October.

That means wider brick-trimmed sidewalks along the quarter-mile route, 72 shade trees that will eventually grow together to form a canopy, nicer benches and street lamps, new bike racks, space for public art and 46 parallel parking spaces. Another half-dozen or so parking spaces will be added at the Madison County Veterans Memorial.

"We're using the exact same brick pattern, street trees and everything that we did on the courthouse square," Stewart said Tuesday.

While Washington Street is being realigned to eliminate a slight curve, the most dramatic change for drivers will be at the Clinton Avenue and Holmes Avenue intersections. The asphalt at both corners will be replaced with decorative brick pavers.

Director of Urban Development Shane Davis has said the different colors and road textures are intended to slow down traffic through an increasingly busy pedestrian area.

Stewart said the sidewalk work is focused for now on the east side of Washington Street. Crews started outside the Belk Hudson Lofts and are moving toward the courthouse. They'll eventually hop across to the west side and redo the walkways around Sammy T's Music Hall, James Steakhouse, Humphrey's and the former Heritage Club building.